For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (January 25, 2017)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today praised the reintroduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate that would exempt small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for five years from the FCC’s net neutrality enhanced transparency rules.
S. 228, The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2017, exempts small ISPs with fewer than 250,000 subscribers from certain disclosure requirements detailing network practices and performance metrics such as packet loss. Similar legislation introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden (R–Oregon) passed the House earlier this month.
“We welcome the reintroduction of this bill and would like to thank Sens. Steve Daines and Joe Manchin for sponsoring it again,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “This bill would relieve smaller broadband providers from the burdensome and costly compliance obligations of the enhanced transparency requirements. The legislation will free up time and resources for NTCA members across the country to focus on investing in networks and better serving consumers. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and Senate leadership to advance this legislation.”
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing more than 800 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of exploding technology, deregulation and marketplace competition, NTCA’s members are leading the IP evolution for rural consumers, delivering technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development and commerce, education, health care, government services, security and smart energy use. Visit us at www.ntca.org.